What happens when tens of millions of fantasy-sports players are suddenly able to bet real money on real games? We’re about to find out. A recent Supreme Court decision has cleared the way to bring an estimated $300 billion in black-market sports betting into the light. We sort out the winners and losers.
Oct 2
689. Here’s Why Your Hamburger Just Got So Pricey
An economist calls America’s beef industry a “miracle.” An antitrust scholar calls it “broken.” Maybe they’re both right? SOURCES:Austin Frerick, agriculture antitrust expert, fellow at Yale University, author of Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America's Food Industry ... Show More
49m 25s
Sep 25
688. When Is a Bet Not a Bet?
That’s the question at the heart of a battle between Kalshi and state gambling regulators. As prediction markets boom, there are other questions, too — about insider trading, market manipulation, and whether the public has turned against them. (Part two of a two-part series.) SOU ... Show More
50m 32s
Sep 18
687. Are Prediction Markets the Best Forecasting Tool Ever — or Just Another Casino?
The promise is that they can beat the experts at predicting inflation, elections, and FDA approvals. But right now, roughly 90 percent of the action is sports. Is this a future we want to bet on? Stephen Dubner speaks with, among others, the C.E.O. of Kalshi. (Part one of a two-p ... Show More
48m 39s
Jan 2025
Deep Dive: The Duopoly Driving America’s Sports Betting Obsession
<p>In this deep dive, we explore the booming business of online sports betting, a multi-billion-dollar industry reshaped by a landmark 2018 Supreme Court ruling. From the dominance of FanDuel and DraftKings to the untapped potential in states like Texas and California, we uncover ... Show More
8m 53s
Dec 2024
All Or Nothing: The Rise of Sports Betting | 134
In this episode we examine America’s favorite pastime: gambling. With loosening regulations, the explosion of online betting sites, and the full support of major sports leagues, sportsbetting has become ripe for scam. In this episode we meet an accountant who worked the system an ... Show More
52m 56s
Sep 2023
The dark side of the US sports-betting boom
Sports betting is a relatively young industry in the US, in effect launching after a 2018 US Supreme Court ruling struck down a federal ban. Before then, those who wanted to gamble on sports legally had to travel to casinos in Nevada, or three other states that were exempt from t ... Show More
22m 4s
May 2018
This Guy Bet on Betting and It's About to Pay Off
Joe Asher, chief executive officer of William Hill U.S., discusses a host of issues related to the business of sports, including the Supreme Court’s ruling that makes betting on sports legal. The ruling is likely to enrich every part of the sports economy, including team valuatio ... Show More
34m 50s
Feb 2023
How Sports Betting Hit the Mainstream in America
<p>This weekend, one of the most watched sporting events of the year, the Super Bowl, will draw an estimated $16 billion in bets from Americans, more than double last year’s total.</p><p>The booming trade is a sign of how gambling has gone from illegal to legal very quickly in ma ... Show More
34m 25s